


The Deadliest of the Species.

by Markuse88



Series: Markuse88 Inktober 2019 [15]
Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Magical Realism, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Alternate Universe - Werewolves Are Known, Brief self harm, Homophobic Language, Hurt and comfort, Kahuna Chin, M/M, Magical Chin, Original Character(s), Surprise Alpha/Omega Pairing/Characters, Werewolf Danny Williams, Werewolf Steve McGarrett
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-07
Updated: 2019-12-07
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:48:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21703984
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Markuse88/pseuds/Markuse88
Summary: There are few crimes more heinous in Werewolf law than stealing/bewitching away someone's Fated mate. When a Witch attempts to steal that which isn't her's she'll need to be taught a lesson. Steve will be her willing teacher.(As I've said before the story is better than the summary.)
Relationships: Steve McGarrett/Danny "Danno" Williams
Series: Markuse88 Inktober 2019 [15]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1501292
Comments: 15
Kudos: 154





	The Deadliest of the Species.

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for the 2019 Inktober list. The prompt is Wild. This is self-edited so all mistakes are mine. Beta-read for content by the amazing Cowandcalf. I would love to hear your thoughts and I hope you enjoy. Also please feel free to offer suggestions for tags as I tend to come up blank.
> 
> Technically this should be the prompt Legend but I got the order mixed up. Legend is up next.

Steve moved silently through the trees, the scent of his prey filling his nose and blocking out the fragrant and pungent scents of the jungle plants. She had left a thick scent trail and made no attempt to cover it. After all, why would she? She thought she had won. She would soon learn differently and Steve, Steve would be her willing teacher.

They did not know how long she had been on the Islands. They did not even know she was there at all until it was too late. Until she got to Danny.

Danny…just thinking his name made Steve’s heart hammer and his jaw ache with the desire to bite, to rip, to _destroy_.

‘ _Soon_ ,’ whispered the part of his mind where rationale still resided, dwarfed and overshadowed by primal instinct, _‘Soon we will have her. Soon it will be finished.’_ Even through the haze of animal instincts and the need for vengeance, Steve clung to that slip of rationale. He needed it to distract himself from the wrong, empty feeling in the back of his mind. The place once occupied by his and Danny’s Mate-Bond. The witch’s magic had silenced it, shunted it so that neither Steve nor Danny could feel it, but it was still there. The Mate-Bond could not be broken by magic, even the powerful and filthy magic this witch used. No, it couldn’t be broken until she got what she wanted from Danny.

Steve intended to ensure that never happened.

Steve surmised that the witch wanted Danny for breeding purposes. Danny was born from two old and respected European werewolf lines. The branches of the Williams and Griffith bloodlines that ran in Danny’s veins could each be traced back over a hundred years and were largely purebreds. The two bloodlines had produced numerous powerful Alphas and clever Omegas. Children sired from Danny with the _witch_ would likely be extremely powerful, whether they ended up as werewolves or magic users.

It had started off small and Steve still blamed himself for not seeing it. Danny being forgetful, easily distracted, and having trouble sleeping. When Steve _had_ realized some of the signs he chalked them up to stress from the cases they were working. A string of brutal Werewolf and Witch deaths that, on the surface, seemed like bizarre murder-suicides. That hadn’t sat right with any of them as the victims had no connection to one another. When they dug deeper they found similar unsolved cases across the States and a few in Europe.

It was after the discovery of the other victims that Danny had gotten worse. His short fuse became a hair-trigger, he started drinking more and would disappear for hours at a time. He, Chin, and Kono had all tried to help him, to figure out what was going on, but with the Governor breathing down their necks to solve the cases their focus was divided. Steve felt the first signs of their mating-bond closing when Chin unearthed grainy photos of a woman with several of the victims prior to their deaths.

Steve had left Chin and Kono to work on the woman’s identity and had gone straight home, to _their_ home, where he had left Danny that morning in a grumpy, hungover haze. He had found Danny sitting on their couch, staring glassy-eyed into space, as he rolled a red hacky-sack looking pouch between his hands. He didn’t respond when Steve called his name or even shook his shoulder. When Steve reached to take the pouch though Danny flashed his fangs and growled menacingly at him, eyes flashing from their normal blue to lupine yellow. Steve persisted and just managed to graze the pouch with his fingertips before Danny roared and shoved him away and retreated to a corner of the room.

Once Steve had righted himself he immediately called Chin and Kono for back-up. Once he was sure they were on their way he had moved as close to Danny as he could without setting off his mates’ aggression. It broke his heart to see Danny crouched in the corner, wild-eyed, with the little red pouch clutched protectively to his chest. When words failed to get through to him Steve had tried their mate-bond but just as his mind touched Danny’s it had slammed shut. The force and shock of it sent Steve to his knees as a plaintive howl was ripped out of him.

Steve didn’t remember much between that moment and when Chin and Kono had shown up. Just flashes of holding his head, rocking and crying as he whispered Danny’s name over and over. It was Danny leaping past him toward Chin and Kono as they entered that brought Steve back to himself. He came back to his senses just in time to see Danny laid out flat on his back at Chin’s feet. Chin, a powerful Kahuna, was stood over him with his arms outstretched, palms facing down over Danny’s prone form.

Steve was torn between the instincts to go to Danny’s aid, his mate was obviously in distress, or asking Chin what was going on. Before he could make up his mind his eyes had fallen on the red pouch. He had scrambled to grab it but had been stopped by Kono. Wearing special gloves she had picked it up and placed it in a small wooden box carved with binding runes. Once it was shut Danny stopped struggling against the magical hold that Chin had on him, stopped growling; stopped everything. Including breathing. Chin had ended his magic and Steve rushed to Danny, intent on starting CPR, only to be thrown across the room by an unseen force. When Chin and Kono attempted to intervene they too were hurled away. It was then that Chin grabbed the warded box and opened it. As soon as the red pouch was visible Danny was on his feet and advancing toward them, teeth-gnashing and claws extended. Chin had immediately passed the box to Kono and once more wrapped Danny in his paralyzing magic.

“I can’t hold him like this forever.” Chin had said before nodding at Kono. Kono passed the box to Steve and ran out of the house. She was back a moment later with a black case that he knew contained some of Chin's magical equipment. She opened it and pulled out a sealed jar of white powder. Steve knew what it was before she even opened it. Steve wanted to stop her. Every instinct in his body was _screaming_ at him to stop her but as he looked between Danny, feral and snarling, and Chin, sweat on his brow betraying his stoic expression, Steve knew he couldn’t. Instead, he stepped back and took a deep breath as Kono opened the jar and poured a small bit of the powder into her still gloved hand.

Steve forced himself to watch as she got within a foot of Danny and blew the powder into his face. The white aconite took immediate effect, Danny’s eyes rolling back and falling closed as he passed out. He would have dropped like a ton of bricks had it not been for Chin's magic holding him in place.

In the end, they moved Danny into the basement and contained him in a circle of silver shavings. Even a werewolf as powerful as Danny couldn’t cross a line of pure silver.

Steve had stayed with Danny while the others searched his house. When they came back to the basement an hour later they had numerous red hex bags. Some stitched with symbols. Working slowly, in case the hex bags were linked to Danny like the first was, Chin opened them and looked through them. Chin hadn’t been able to identify all the ingredients but the ones he could made Steve’s blood boil.

The hex bags were filled with ingredients that would induce erratic behavior and weaken the mind. They also, somehow, included strands of Danny’s hair and what looked like nail clippings. Steve was never one to believe in coincidence and wasn’t about to start. Danny's behavior had started to change just after the deaths began and had gotten worse the closer they came to identifying the woman in the photos. It was too much to believe that they _weren’t_ connected.

That belief didn’t help them find her though. Luckily the witch was either foolish or cocky as she herself handed them that key.

Night had just begun to fall when Danny, who had been pacing the six-foot perimeter of the circle since he had woke up, suddenly stopped and stared at the ceiling. Steve had moved as close as he could and called Danny’s name, hopeful that the mania had passed, but his mate ignored him. Instead, he began to push at the invisible barrier around him while words tumbled out of his mouth.

The babbling shattered Steve’s hope and tore at his already abused heart.

“Have to get out of here….got to get to her…she needs me…my love.” Danny repeated over and over as he scrambled at the field that held him in place. Tears pricked Steve’s eyes as Danny begged to be released from the warding to be with someone else. He couldn’t take it and turned to head upstairs. Kono had met Steve at the top of the stairs, looking stricken.

“Steve…you need to see this.” Kono told him, voice tight.

Steve followed Kono through the house to the lanai and stopped in his tracks at the sight before him. A northern harrier, one of Hawaii’s hawk species, lay dead on the ground. Next to it lay a small package wrapped in brown paper. Kono and Chin tried to stop him as he scooped up the package but Steve waved them off. He couldn’t smell any trace of herbs to mark it as a hex bag but what he _did_ smell was just as disgusting. Steve pulled the twine loose and the package fell open, revealing a pair of red lace panties. The garment reeked of the woman’s’ scent, a scent filled with arousal.

The underwear was the last straw to Steve’s control, control that had been slipping since he had found Danny. Steve felt his eyes glow, his fangs drop and watched as his claws grew. When he turned back to Chin and Kono the two of them recoiled.

“Stay here, stay with Danny.” Steve growled at the two of them as he moved back through the house to grab his shift kit. Before he could leave though Chin caught up to him, grabbing his shoulder.

“I’ll make sure it’s legal.” Chin promised before letting his hand fall. Steve had nodded and left.

That had been a few hours ago. Steve had used the witch’s underwear to track her down, just as he was sure she planned for Danny to do. She was close. It wasn’t hard, even with just driving with the truck's windows down. He’d left his truck at the road, along with his badge, gun, and phone. He wouldn’t need them. All he needed was four paws and his jaws. Steve trusted that Chin had cleared things with the governor and he felt no hesitation in going after her. Human and werewolf laws differed in a few places. Human law would see the witch tried for her crimes. In werewolf law, though the witch’s actions, bewitching and attempting to break up a fated mate-pair, was punishable by death. To act on it though, normally, Steve would need permission.

Steve halted as he stepped through the trees, finding himself at the foot of Ko’olau Range. Steve may not have known every inch of the islands but he did know that what he was looking at wasn’t supposed to be there.

A cave had been formed into the rock face. Steve scented the air but didn’t detect anything but the scent of the witch, emanating from the cave. Moving slow Steve entered the opening. Stone and earthen stairs had been formed leading downward. Steve’s paws made no sound as he crept down the dark passage. The darkness was no obstacle to his sight but as the stairs ended at the entrance of short halls he could see light shining from the far end.

Steve moved with more speed now, in the back of his mind rationale told him he should cling to stealth if he could, but his beastly instinct told him his prey was close at hand. It demanded that he find them and deal out punishment for their transgression, their violation.

Entering the chamber made Steve halt. The ozone scent of magic was thick in the air and as he took in the chamber he could tell why. It was a wide, domed chamber so perfectly formed it had been obviously done by supernatural means. Hundreds, if not thousands, of orbs of light in different colors, floated near the ceiling. Their light lit the whole chamber in a subdued glow but it wasn’t the only source of light. At the far end of the chamber a large fire roared. Steve couldn’t see the source as it was obscured by a large raised platform that appeared to be covered in furs and blankets.

Steve’s stomach clenched not only at the realization that it was the same height as a bed but also at the sight and smell of its occupant. Even with his enhanced sight, Steven couldn’t make out her appearance but he could see her wallowing and writhing on the makeshift bed. This close he could discern the cloying scent of an unknown perfume and the now-familiar scent of the witch and her arousal. What disturbed Steve most though was the ripe, potent scent of the witch’s _heat_. Steve bit back a harsh growl as he realized his suspicions had been right.

There was no cover to speak of so, keeping low, Steve moved slowly toward the platform. The witch seemed not to realize he was there and if he could catch her by surprise he could make this quick and clean.

“My love, there is no reason to creep and cower,” Steve once more froze as the witch spoke from the bed, “We are together now. Away from those _pathetic_ people. Come my love. Let us be together.” The witch sat up and moved to the side of the platform, giving Steve his first clear look at her.

She was tall and rubenesque, curvaceous. Long red hair fell in waves past her shoulders and her pale skin glowed like the moon. Her eyes were dark green, like emeralds, and shined in the twilight of the room. She wore a robe of thin, glossy fabric that clung to her, belted at the waist. Another place, another time, Steve might have thought of her as beautiful, stunning even. But now…now Steve could only see her as a threat, a trap. Like a pitcher plant drawing in prey with sweet nectar.

“You are so beautiful my love,” The witch walked forward and knelt in front of him, reaching out to touch his fur. Steve stood stock still and let her, realizing the witch thought he was Danny, “So dark and sleek. I expected fairer.” The woman stroked his head and neck. Steve didn’t know if it was his own disgust or some magic but her touch was like ice and sent chills through him.

“Rise my dearest, rise and let us consummate our new love.” She said as she stood once more, turning back to the platform.

Steve seized the moment and lunged at her. Before he could connect though the witch turned and with a snarl threw out her arm in a sweeping motion toward him. Like a kite caught in the breeze, Steve was sent flying, impacting with a thud against the cavern wall.

“Filthy mongrel, did you really think me so _ignorant_?” The witch roared out as she advanced on him. In a flash of light, her robe was replaced with a black tunic shirt, pants, and boots with a long red trench coat billowing around her. Just below the hollow of her throat sat a red gemstone pendant that glowed like crystal fire.

Steve stood, already healed from the impact, and advanced on her again. Instead of sending him flying again the witch conjured orbs of black light and threw at him. With the preternatural speed native to werewolves Steve dodged the orbs and lunged, latching onto her arm. The witch screamed in pain and outrage, hammering at Steve’s head with her free fist. Steve squeezed his jaw tighter and whipped his head from side to side until he both felt and heard the bones crack and shatter. Steve would have continued, ripping the limb from her body if the witch hadn’t ringed the fist she was hitting him with in fire. Heat flared between his eyes, light blinding him as his fur singed and his skin blistered.

Shock and pain forced him to release and retreat. Pain wracked his body three times as he scrambled away from her and when his eyes healed enough he was able to see the witch, damaged arm cradled to his body, casting the blacklight orbs at him. Steve dove behind the platform, nearly getting scorched by the fire that burnt behind it; seemingly springing from the floor without fuel.

“Worthless _dog_ , come out and face me!” The witch screamed and the world shook around him, instead of circling the platform the witch was apparently hammering it with her spells. A chunk of the platform gave way and fell next to him. Steve kicked it hard away from him and when, as he hoped, the witched turned her attack on it he ducked around the other side and lunged at her again. She turned back to him while he was in mid-jump but didn’t have time to marshal a defense before Steve was landing on her, knocking her to the floor. She screamed in pain as Steve landed on her injured arm.

The witch hammered at him with her free hand again, long, strong nails digging and tearing at his skin and fur between shoves. Steve tried his best to plant himself and go for her throat but the woman’s blows and her writhing unsettled him and he only managed to grasp her pendant. The crystal burned his mouth and tongue as he closed his jaw around it and with a whip of his head Steve sent it flying. It hit the stone floor and exploded in a violent flash of crimson light. The witch screamed again and Steve found himself suddenly frozen and rising into the air.

Steve struggled but the feeling was like a hand around his throat as the witch stood shakily, her good arm outstretched toward him, hand pointed at him like a grasping claw.

“You filthy, faggot _mutt_ ,” She hissed as she closed her hand minutely, Steve felt his throat close up in response, “Don’t you understand what I am doing, I’m trying to _save_ him from laying with _filth_ like you. He’s better than you, just too blind to see it. Nature made a _horrible mistake_ pairing him with _you_. He belongs with me. I spent _weeks_ opening his eyes, sneaking my little trinkets into your filthy little den, but his infatuation with you was strong and he just...kept…resisting.” The witch punctuated the last three words by slamming him repeatedly against the jagged heap that had once been the platform. Despite the pain and broken bones, Steve continued to struggle against her hold. If he could just get free he could trigger his shift.

“I finally had to get more creative. My last little treasure was bound to that crystal, increasing my hold on him, letting me whisper to him and now you’ve SHATTERED IT!” She screamed hysterically, eyes bulging madly before she threw Steve into the wall again.

The world went briefly black as pain raced through every bone, muscle, and nerve. As he hit the floor though his body began to heal. Without thought Steve let himself go limp and slowed his breathing, hoping the dim light and the witch’s mania would work to make it look as though he was dead. He just needed a few moments more.

“It’s alright though,” He heard the woman whisper; her footsteps bringing her close enough that she stood over him, “With you gone the bond is broken. Once I kill the pathetic _Kahuna_ I’m sure you have guarding him I’ll be more than happy to comfort him…perhaps I’ll even let him name one of our babies after you.” Clearly falling for Steve’s ruse the witch kicked him hard in the stomach before turning and striding away.

“Of course I’ll need to have him kill his other two whelps first though.” The witch spoke as though it was an afterthought. The threat to Charlie and Grace, of making _Danny_ hurt them was the last straw. He wasn’t fully healed but it didn’t matter. He forced himself to his feet and let loose a powerful howl.

The sound echoed through the chamber and the witch turned back to him in shock. She raised a hand, wreathed in fire, but froze and stared at him in horror. Steve’s howl grew in bass and power and with it his body. Danny’s blood was old and pure, distinguished. But McGarrett blood, _Steve’s_ blood held a trait both rare and powerful. New strength and power flowed through him as his body stretched and grew, more than doubling in size from his previous form.

“ _Impossible_ , Dire Wolves are extinct!” The witch cried out in disbelief from the near the foot of the stairs as she hurled fire at him again. Unlike before the burning orbs just glanced off him. In addition to the enhanced size, speed, strength, and senses of the Dire Wolf came a resistance to magic. However the resistance came with a cost, every time his body deflected magic it bit into the amount of time he could remain in this form.

The witch was partially right. True Dire Wolves _were_ extinct. For lines that still carried the gene though the form could be triggered for short periods. The more stress the form was put under the shorter the time it could be maintained. Steve’s record was twenty minutes with no stress. It was why he hadn’t gone with it to start with.

Even as Steve advanced on the witch he could feel the form slipping. He hadn’t been a hundred percent to begin with, which ate into his time, and it grew shorter with every fire and black energy orb the witch hurled at him. The witch snarled and raised her good hand over her head, conjuring a large orb of black light. Steve knew if that hit him he was done for. Another consequence of the Dire Wolf form was the weakening of Werewolf abilities _after_ the shift was over. He had to finish this before it was too late. Just as the witch reared back to cast the orb Steve struck out with a massive paw. The orb exploded as the witch went flying across the cavern. Steve struggled to track the witch’s path as he felt his body began to shrink.

Through narrowed, streaming eyes he watched her land hard in the magic fueled fire at the far end of the room. Steve took grim satisfaction at the dull crack before the fire, as well as the orbs at the ceiling, winked out of existence. Hitting his now human knees Steve sat back on his heels and let his head and shoulders sag. Everything hurt, from his scalp to his pinky toes, but he took solace in the fact that his mate-bond was once more open. It was trauma-weak and stretched by distance but it was blessedly open once more. Tentatively he stretched his mind out toward Danny. A spark of recognition and relief rose in his mind as he touched his to Danny’s but it was followed closely by the sour feeling of shame. With a deep, fortifying breath he forced himself to his feet. Every step on the stone floor was agony but he had to check the witch's body. Had to make sure she was _gone_ so he could return to Danny and make things right. The Dire Wolf had sucked up much of his power but with focus he could shift the energy away from its sluggish healing and toward his eyesight. The cave-darkness was mildly illuminated by his enhanced sight and let him find the witch’s body, broken and charred, laying where the fire once burned. Loath as he was to do so he checked for a pulse, first on her throat then her wrists, but found none.

Confident she was gone Steve left the cavern and made as quick a pace as his battered body and flickering eyesight would allow. He also had to make himself keep track of his surroundings as he made his way back to the truck. He would need to tell Chin and the others were to find the witch’s body. It would need to be disposed of properly. Steve felt saddened when he thought of Chin finding the chamber. It was the first duty of all Kahuna’s to protect the natural environment of the Islands. The cavern, not being naturally formed, was an affront to Hawaiian Tradition. Steve hoped Chin and the other Kahuna’s could repair the damage.

Back at the truck, pulled haphazardly to the shoulder of the thankfully deserted road, Steve grabbed his shift kit out the bed. He pulled on the loose tank top and baggy board shorts inside before downing the bottle of water and cramming a protein bar into his mouth. Back in the truck, Steve grabbed the keys and his phone from the glove box. He checked his phone and found it dead. Steve realized he wasn’t sure when he had charged it last. Dropping it to the seat next to him he fired up the truck and took off. Steve bent the speed limit the entire drive home. The closer he got the stronger his mate-bond became, it was still weak, but he could feel that Danny was pulled in on himself. Steve was worried about that only because he knew that it was what Danny did when he was feeling things he didn’t want Steve to see or be aware of. Steve kept reaching out though right up till he pulled into his drive.

“Steve, thank god your back,” Chin pulled him into a hug as soon as he was in the door, “I reached out to the Governor and explained what happened. He signed off on it.” Chin told him as he pulled away. Steve nodded absently as he scanned the area, neither Kono nor Danny was in sight.

“He’s upstairs. As soon as the witch was dead her hex bag burned up and he snapped out of it. He…remembers everything…everything.” Chin told him and Steve felt his stomach drop. From the few feelings he could get across Danny’s hold he had suspected that but he had _hoped_ he was wrong.

“I’ll take it from here. Thanks for everything Chin.” Steve pulled Chin into a brief hug as he spoke.

“No worries brah. I’m gonna link up with Kono, I sent her to Mamo in case we needed help from the other Kahuna’s.” Chin explained as he pulled away to collect his gear.

“Sadly you’re gonna need it.” Steve told him before explaining where he could find the witch’s body…and what she had done. When he had finished Chin left pale and stone-faced. 

With Chin gone Steve made a round through the house, making sure the doors and windows were all locked. As he did he noted that Chin had painted warding symbols around the doorways and windows. Likely they were only temporary, he would have Chin make them permanent later. Everything done Steve took a deep breath and headed for their bedroom. Steve hadn’t thought he could hurt anymore but that was before he entered the bedroom. Danny was backed into a corner, face pressed into his drawn-up knees. The acrid scent of misery and pain was so thick that it made Steve want to gag. There was a tang of blood mixed in the air and when he moved closer he saw why. Danny’s claws were out and he had numerous scratches on his bare arms.

“Oh, Danno…what did you do to yourself?” Steve asked quietly, dropping carefully to his knees in front of Danny.

“Less than I deserve.” Danny’s replied was slightly muffled but Steve could still hear the anguish in his voice. As he watched, searching for the right words to say, Danny dug one of his claws into his forearm again. The fresh trickle of blood made Steve see red. Before he could realize what a bad idea it was he reached out and grabbed hold of Danny’s wrist.

The skin to skin contact had two effects. The first was Danny’s head snapping up, his eyes once more lupine yellow but bleeding Alpha red at the edges of his irises. The second was a large crack in the hold that Danny had on their mate-bond. Such a torrent of emotions flowed through the crack that Steve felt momentarily drown by them. Steve shut his eyes, which he knew would be shining Omega gold, against the onslaught. Mixed into the love, relief, pain, and anger was a self-loathing so powerful Steve could practically taste it on his tongue. The tide stemmed as he felt Danny’s hand close around his wrist. Steve opened his eyes as Danny tried to free himself from his grip. Steve though finally understood and instead gripped Danny’s wrist tighter and with his other hands grabbed Danny’s free wrist. It was mildly ridiculous but Steve wasn’t letting go. Not until he got through to Danny.

“Damn it Steve let go.” Danny ordered as he struggled in Steve’s hold. Steve’s heart was lightened a little at the restraint in Danny’s voice. Even now Danny couldn’t bring himself to use his Alpha Tone.

“I’m not letting you go, Danny. Not letting you hurt yourself over this. You want me to let go, you’re going to have to Order me to do it.” Steve gambled the challenge and Danny immediately stopped and slumped into the corner.

“You know I’d never do that to you, babe…you know how much I hate being _able_ to do that.” Danny confessed quietly, not meeting his eyes.

Steve let go of Danny’s wrists and man-handled the other man until Danny’s legs were outstretched and he was knelt between them. Danny still wouldn’t look at him, instead, he stared despondently down at the floor, so Steve reached out and rested his hands on either side of Danny’s neck. Letting his thumbs brush over Danny’s scruffy cheeks.

“Look at me Danno.” Steve encouraged quietly. It took a moment but Danny finally met his eyes. They were mostly back to blue but still held the crimson glow of Alpha at the edges. Moving slow Steve leaned in until he could press their lips together. It took a moment but eventually, Danny responded, pressing his lips back against his own in a warm, chaste kiss. Steve moved to deepen the kiss but suddenly Danny was pulling away, the back of his head thunking into the corner.

“How can you look at me after what I did Steve, much less kiss me? I don’t…I don’t deserve comfort, I don’t deserve _you_.” Danny’s tone was wrecked and heartbreaking.

“Danny…Danny _you_ didn’t do anything. None of what has happened is your fault.” Steve told him quietly. Anger suddenly flooded Danny’s scent and his eyes burned crimson as he shot to his feet, nearly knocking Steve over.

“Didn’t do anything…not my fault,” Danny cried out harshly, clawed hands waving frantically, as Steve stood up to face him, “I let that _bitch_ get into my head, Steve! I _attacked_ you, you and Chin. I could have killed you…I was _supposed_ to kill you!” Danny’s hands moved up to his head, Danny had a tendency to scrub his hands through his hair when he was upset, but Steve intervened and latched onto Danny’s wrists again. Danny struggled for a moment but Steve wasn’t going to risk his mate hurting himself again, even by accident. Steve brought Danny's hands to his chest and forced him to lay his palms flat against him. Danny needed something to anchor himself to and Steve knew Danny wouldn't hurt him.

It had the desired effect. Almost immediately Danny’s claws sank away and let him fist his hands in the fabric of Steve’s tank top.

“I was supposed to _kill_ you, Steve…” Danny whispered and Steve stepped close enough for Danny to rest his forehead against his bunched hands, “She put orders in my head. I was supposed to kill you and go find her. I fought…I fought so hard but I couldn’t shake it. I couldn’t make it _stop_. I couldn’t let go of the stupid hacky sack and couldn’t drown out her fucking whisper in my head. Then…then it got _worse_ Steve…I forgot…I _forgot_ you…I dunno how she did it. But it was like…it was like a switch flipped and everything was just gone. Just _her_ …that’s all I had left.” Steve brought his arms up and held Danny to him as his mate broke and began to cry against his chest. After a moment Danny relinquished his hold on Steve’s shirt and wrapped his arms around him, holding him as though any moment he would vanish.

Anger with the witch burned anew now that he better understood the depth of Danny's horror. He wished that he could have made the witch suffer more. She was beyond his reach now though so Steve settled for telling Danny what she had told him.

“She said you fought, that you fought her for weeks. That you were stronger than her magic, that our love, _your love for me_ was stronger than her. The last hex bag had to be linked directly to her, so she could influence you directly before she could control you. You were _supposed_ to kill me, Danny…but you didn’t. You didn’t even _try_. Even with our bond blocked and half-feral you fought, tried to distance yourself from me.” Danny clung tighter as Steve spoke but the shaking of his shoulders and gasping of his crying eased off. After a moment Danny leaned back, without breaking contact, and looked up at Steve with wet eyes.

“She spoke to you, did she hurt you…is…is she gone?” Danny asked him rapidly, some of his old alpha snap back in his voice.

“Yea she talked to me. You know how dark witches are. Always with the monologuing. As to hurting me, yea she handed me my ass a bit, I won’t lie. But everything is healed up and yes, she’s dead. I checked her body myself and Chin, Kono, and I imagine HPD are on the way there now.” Steve told him, leaving a fuller explanation for later. While he spoke Danny gripped the back of his shirt tightly and his face turned down into a scowl. For a moment Steve half expected to get bitched out for taking the witch on alone. But Danny’s face softened and he brought a hand up to rest on Steve’s cheek. Steve nuzzled into the contact with a sigh.

“My amazing omega. Powerful as any alpha and twice as mean.” Danny all but purred at him, making his heart stutter and his body flush. If he wasn’t so worn out and sore he would be aroused. As it was Steve turned more into the hand on his cheek and pressed a kiss to Danny’s palm before bringing a hand up to interlock their fingers.

“Come on, alpha.” Steve smiled, stepping out of Danny’s grip and tugging Danny toward the en-suite. Danny gave him a wane smile and let himself be pulled along.

“Steve…Babe…I dunno where this is headed but I don’t think I’m up for sex…not tonight.” Danny offered quietly once they were in the bathroom and Steve had the water going.

“Good, cause neither am I. But we stink of sweat, angst, and blood. I don’t want that in our bed.” Steve offered and Danny slumped in obvious relief.

Once the water was steaming Steve wasted no time in stripping off his tank-top and dropping his shorts. Danny quickly followed suit, casting aside his old, worn-out tee-shirt and stepping out of the thin sleep pants he wore. The shower wasn’t meant for two people, something Steve had been meaning to update, but in moments like this, he was glad that he hadn’t. Water, heat, and steam made their skin slick and soft as they brushed against one another in the humid space. They used special low-scent soap and their bare hands to clean each other up. Steve was glad to wash away the dried blood on Danny’s hands and arms. The scratches and cuts that marred him were still slowly healing. Wounds inflicted by an Alpha, even to themselves, would take time to heal and risked scarring.

Steve pushed it to the back of his mind though. They would handle that tomorrow. Tonight they scrubbed each other clean of the pain and worry of the day. Steve ran soapy hands over every inch of Danny’s well-muscled and furred body. Danny squirmed under the spray when Steve gently tickled his hairy underarms. Danny though got his revenge when it was his turn to clean him up. Danny knew all of Steve's sensitive spots, sexual and not alike. Steve could have stopped him, of course, but Danny was the only person he ever let see those spots, was the only one Steve ever felt safe enough to soften with.

Cleaning turned into teasing which might have gone further if the hot water hadn't started to run cool. They didn’t bother to redress once they were out and dried off. Instead, they retired to bed, bare, and tangled in each other. Despite not being up for sex the two of them were up for each other, for touching. Steve let Danny lay him down and spread out over his torso, pressing kisses into his skin as he ran his hands over his body. Steve did the same, caressing Danny’s head, shoulders, back, and arms.

Spreading and mixing their scents across one another’s skin.

Late into the night, legs tangled, hands gently roving, Steve felt the last of the barriers in their mate bond fall away as they exchanged slow and sleepy kisses.

“My Alpha.” Steve whispered, instinctively barring his throat as warmth flooded his mind and the mating mark on his neck tingled.

“Omega, _my_ omega.” Danny growled quietly, nosing along Steve’s exposed throat.

Steve knew this wouldn’t be the end of it. He knew there would be bad days for both of them over this, over the witch and her actions. But now, tonight, back in his Alphas arms. They could face it.

**Author's Note:**

> I have definite plans to expand this later. I would like to go more in-depth with the Witch's past and motivations. Expand on Danny's descent into bewitchment. Maybe include a love scene. I do hope you all enjoyed it. I had a lot of fun writing it. Also, I had no idea what Clara William's maiden name was so I went with the actress's name lol.  
> Find me on tumblr @ https://mcdannoangelwolf.tumblr.com


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